Penne Vodka

This was one of the first recipes I made from “Veganonicom” when I first became vegan. It’s really simple to put together, and I even found the recipe online. The sauce consists of a basic, garlicky marinara with red pepper flakes for kick and vodka. The sauce is simmered for about 20 minutes so that the alcohol dissipates and the flavor infuses the sauce. Slivered almonds are added to the sauce right before it’s blended. And if you have fresh basil (I didn’t in this case), add a chiffonade of it on top.

I will say, it’s important that you have a blender with a tight lid because you’ll be blending hot liquid. I haven’t made this recipe in a couple of years because I didn’t have a blender, and an immersion blender won’t cut it. I recommend placing a towel over the lid and holding it down tightly as you blend the sauce just to be safe.

On the side, I included baby spinach with a warm poppy seed dressing, as well as an assortment of olives.